This invention relates generally to bees and more particularly to lures for bees.
The number and intensity of bee attacks is growing at an alarming rate. With the migration of xe2x80x9cafricanizedxe2x80x9d bees into the United States, these attacks are expected to grow.
Attacks by bees pose two challenges: the effect on the victim; and, the protection of any would-be rescuer. While there have been numerous devices and chemicals directed to assisting the victim, little has been done for the protection of the rescuer.
The current methodology for protecting the rescuer hasn""t changed much since the beginning of time. The rescuer, before entering the attack zone, covers his body and face with protection to prevent the bees from gaining access to him. Firefighters utilize netting to protect their face and often use duct tape to seal their shirt sleeves and pant legs prior to entering the area.
While this is effective, in an emergency situation, the time required to fully garb prior to a rescue means the victim will suffer hundreds, if not thousands, of additional stings prior to rescue. This additional toxic assault often means the difference between life and death.
The present invention provides a level of protection for the rescuer while at the same time providing means to minimize the bee attack.
The invention creates a lure for bees configured to be utilized during a rescue attempt. The lure is created to draw bees away from the attack site, thereby providing a level of protection for both the victim and the rescuer.
Within the invention, the lure has a pressurized bottle. A valve is released/opened to activate the lure. In the preferred embodiment, once the valve is opened, it stays open until all of the gas within the pressurized container is exhausted.
In operation, the lure is activated by the rescuer and tossed a short distance away from the attack site. The distance thrown should not be so far that the lure""s effect on drawing the bees away is minimal, neither should the lure be thrown so close as to keep the bees in the vicinity. The ideal distance is from ten to fifteen feet away.
The lure draws the attacking bees, together with newly arriving bees, away from the victim and the rescuer. Attacking bees, which have not stung the victim, are pulled to the lure; and other bees coming to the attack site are drawn to the lure instead.
Once these bees have been drawn away, not only does the stinging action against the victim subside, but, also, the area around the victim is now xe2x80x9csaferxe2x80x9d for the rescuer. This allows the rescuer to remove the victim at minimal risk to the rescuer.
To effectuate the lure of the bees away from the victim, a variety of techniques are used in various embodiments of the invention. These include, but are not limited to: noise attraction, chemical attraction, and motion attraction.
Noise is a powerful trigger for bee attacks. It is well known that loud noises (i.e. lawnmower noise) have triggered attacks. For this embodiment, a loud noise is created by the gas escaping from the pressure vessel.
The noise is chosen to have optimal drawing power for the bees and is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
The noise also serves as an alarm, warning others in the area of the attack. People not involved in the rescue are then alerted to call for emergency help.
Insects, and particularly bees, are responsive to chemical signals. A variety of attractive and attack chemicals are well known to those of skill in the art Some such chemicals are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,857, entitled xe2x80x9cSwarm Lure Packagexe2x80x9d issued to Adams on Oct. 16, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,446, entitled xe2x80x9cDevice and Method for Collecting Bee Venom by Attracting and Electrocuting Injurious Beesxe2x80x9d issued to Guong-Hong on Apr. 2. 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,543, entitled xe2x80x9cPest Trap Having an Electrostatically Charged Surfacexe2x80x9d issued to Howse on Mar. 28, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,335, entitled xe2x80x9cDispensers for the Controlled Release of Pest-Controlling Agents and Methods for Combatting Pests Therewithxe2x80x9d issued to Von Kohom et al. On Jul. 10, 1979, U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,922, entitled xe2x80x9cInsect Bait Stationxe2x80x9d issued to Wefler on Aug. 27, 1996; and, U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,244, entitled xe2x80x9cInsect Attractantxe2x80x9d issued to Howse on May 4, 1999; all of which are incorporated hereinto by reference.
In one embodiment of the invention, these chemicals are released from solids as the gas from the pressure vessel escapes over the solids; in other embodiments, the chemicals are mixed into the gas during manufacture.
Motion and color are also strong triggers for attack within bees. Dark colors, when combined with motion, provides attack stimulation for bees that are hard for the bees to resist.
Within one embodiment of the invention, dark colored streamers are flapped by the escaping gas to draw the bees. In another embodiment of the invention, a silhouette is inflated by the escaping gas, drawing the bees to the vibrating silhouette.
To capture the bees once they are drawn to the motion, one embodiment of the invention coats the outside of the streamers or silhouette with an adhesive, thereby trapping any bees that light upon the streamer or silhouette.
In application then, the rescuer activates the lure and tosses it a short distance from the victim, who is often prostrate on the ground. The lure pulls many of the bees away from the victim, allowing the rescuer to assist the victim with minimal danger.
The invention, together with various embodiments thereof, will be more fully explained by the accompanying drawings and the following explanation thereof